Tool Box with a Tool Locking Function

ABSTRACT

A tool box with a tool locking function comprises a base and a movable member for holding and storing tools. The base is provided with plural engaging portions, and the movable member is defined with plural holding holes cooperating with the engaging portions of the base. The movable member is movably disposed on the base. By such arrangements, the tool box with a tool locking function can fix the tools assuredly, and unclamp the tools by rotation to allow the tools to be taken out easily. In addition, such a tool box with a tool locking function is more advantageous in displaying, carrying and storing of the tools.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an accessory for hand tools such as spanners, screwdrivers, etc, and more particularly to a tool box with a tool locking function, which can fix the tools by moving two components thereof to clamp the ends of the tools.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In order to take out, sort, identify, carry and display tools conveniently, such as sockets, bits, cutting tools, etc, tool boxes are used to store them.

A conventional vertical type tool box is generally defined with plural vertical holding holes for insertion of the corresponding tools, thus facilitating storage of different tools while facilitating taking out the tools during maintenance and assembly process. However, such holding holes in the tool box can only hold the tools, but cannot fix them due to lack of engaging structures, so that when the tool box is moved, the tools are likely to drop out of the holding holes, thus causing much inconvenience and loss of the tools.

Hence, another conventional vertical type tool box with engaging structures in holding holes was developed on the market. Due to the engaging structures in the holding holes, after the tools are placed into the holding holes, the tools will be fixed by the engaging structures, thus preventing the tools from dropping out of the tool box during carrying process of the tool box. Nevertheless, such a tool box with engaging structures is complicated in structure, inconvenient to assemble, and too expensive. In addition, the engaging structures still tightly engage the tools while the tools are taken out of the holding holes, thus increasing the difficulty in taking the tool out of the tool box.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical problems to be solved:

The existing vertical type tool boxes normally are defined with plural holding holes for insertion of the tools without any fixing means, so that the tools cannot be fixed assuredly, thus causing loss and drop of the tools, in addition, although another convention tool box which is provided with engaging structures in the holding holes can fix the tools assuredly, it increases the difficulty in taking out the tools due to too tight engagement.

The technical features to solve the above technical problems:

The present invention is to provide a tool box with a tool locking function which comprises a base and a movable member for holding and storing tools. The base is provided with plural vertical engaging portions. The movable member is disposed on the base and defined with plural holding holes cooperating with the engaging portions of the base. The tools are inserted between the holding holes and the engaging portions, so that the movable member can move relative to the base to clamp and unclamp the tools.

As compared to the conventional vertical type tool boxes, the present invention has the following advantages:

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a tool box with a tool locking function, which utilize a relative movement of a base and a movable member to make the holding holes of the movable member and the engaging portions of the base to clamp and unclamp the tools when the tools are inserted between the base and the movable member, so as to fix the tools assuredly and facilitate taking out the tools. Therefore, the tool box in accordance with the present invention can be operated according to the requirements of the user, in other words, when the tools are to be used, the tool box can unclamp the tools for facilitating taking out the tools, and when the tools are not used, the tool box can clamp the tools for avoiding the dropping and loss of the tools.

The secondary objective of the present invention is to provide a tool box with a tool locking function, which can facilitate displaying of the tools by utilizing a hanger provided on a bottom of the base to hang up the tool box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool box with a tool locking function in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the tool box with a tool locking function in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the tool box with a tool locking function in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the tool box with a tool locking function in accordance with the present invention which holds tools;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the tool box with a tool locking function in accordance with the present invention which holds tools;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the tool box with a tool locking function in accordance with the present invention, showing how the tools are clamped;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the tool box with a tool locking function in accordance with the present invention, showing how the tools are clamped; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view, showing how the hanger of the tool box with a tool locking function in accordance with the present invention is used to hang up the tool box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a tool box with a tool locking function comprises a base 10, a movable member 20 and an outer cover 30 for holding and storing plural tools 40. The base 10 is groove-shaped and provided with plural engaging portions 11. The base 10 is defined with at least one engaging groove 12 in a periphery thereof, and at least one positioning flange 13 on an outer periphery thereof. As shown in FIG. 8, the base 10 is further provided with a rotatable hanger 14 on a bottom thereof. The hanger 14 is pivotally arranged, so that it can be pivoted up to a use position for allowing the base 10 to be suspended, or pivoted down to a non-use position in which the hanger 14 flatly abuts against the bottom of the base 10. The movable member 20 is disc-shaped and defined with plural through holding holes 21 cooperating with the engaging portions 11 on the base 10. The holding holes 21 are shaped correspondingly to the tools 40, and each of the holding holes 21 is provided on a lower edge thereof with at least one reinforcing rib 22. The reinforcing rib 22 can save material and improve the strength of the movable member 20 if the movable member 20 is disc-shaped. The movable member 20 is provided with plural tooth-shaped anti-slip portions 23 on a periphery thereof, and at least one engaging leg 24 on a bottom thereof to cooperate with the at least one engaging groove 12 in the base 10. The width of the engaging groove 12 of the base 10 is greater than that of the engaging leg 24 of the movable member 20. The outer cover 30 is covered on the base 10 and sized according to the length of the tools 40. The outer cover 30 is provided in a bottom of an inner surface thereof with at least one positioning groove 31 for cooperating with the at least one positioning flange 13 of the base 10, and on the inner surface of the outer cover 30 is further provided with plural tooth-shaped positioning portions 32 having a predetermined height for cooperating with the tooth-shaped anti-slip portions 23.

The base 10 is further provided with plural limiting portions 15 opposite the respective engaging portions 11. The limiting portions 15 can provide a limit function for avoiding an excessive displacement of the movable member 20 when the movable member 20 is moved to unclamp the tools 40.

As shown in FIG. 3, the movable member 20 is disposed above the base 10 and engaged to the engaging groove 12 by the engaging leg 24. Since the width of the engaging groove 12 of the base 10 is greater than that of the engaging leg 24 of the movable member 20, the base 10 and the movable member 20 can move relative to each other after being combined. The tools 40 are inserted in the holding holes 21 of the movable member 20. The outer cover 30 is covered on the base 10 and the movable member 20. The positioning groove 31 of the outer cover 30 is engaged with the positioning flange 13 of the base 10. The tooth-shaped positioning portions 32 of the outer cover 30 are mated with the tooth-shaped anti-slip portions 23 of the movable member 20.

As shown in FIGS. 4-5, when the outer cover 30 is taken down from the base 10, the tools 40 will be inserted through the holding holes 21 of the movable member 20, and the ends of the tools 40 will be located against the respective engaging portions 11 of the base 10. When being moved in a direction where the engaging portions 11 are disposed, as shown in FIGS. 6-7, the movable member 20 will drive the tools 40 to rotate, at this moment, the base 10 is located on a forward rotation path of the tools 40, so that the tools 40 can be clamped by the base 10 and the movable member 20 to be fixed therebetween. After that, the outer cover 30 will be covered on the base 10. When the tools 40 are to be used, the movable member 20 will be moved in a reverse direction to increase the distance between the engaging portions 11 and the respective holding holes 21 to unclamp the tools 40, at this movement, since the outer cover 30 is still covered on the movable member 20 with the tooth-shaped positioning portions 32 mating with the tooth-shaped anti-slip portions 23, the movable member 20 can be moved to clamp or unclamp the tools 40 by directly rotating the outer cover 30.

The respective engaging portions 11 of the base are designed to be an arc-shaped surface or an inclined surface, so that when the holding holes 21 of the movable member 20 push the tools 40 to move, the arc-shaped or inclined surfaces of the engaging portions 11 can generate a gradually-increased clamping force relative to the respective holding holes 21.

After the tools 40 are placed in the base 10 and the movable member 20 and fixed therebetween, the tool box of the present invention can be hung up through the hanger 14 of the base 10 for displaying the tools 40, as shown in FIG. 8.

As known from the above embodiment, the present invention has the following advantages:

1. The base 10 and the movable member 20 can move relative to each other, so that when the tools 40 are inserted between the holding holes 21 of the movable member 20 and the engaging portions 11 of the base 10 through the holding holes 21 of the movable member 20, the movable member 20 will be moved in one direction to make the engaging portions 11 of the base 10 and the holding holes 21 apply a clamping force on the respective tools 40 to fix the tools 40 stably and assuredly, thus preventing the tools 40 from dropping out of the tool box when carrying the tool box, in addition, when the tools 40 are to be used, the movable member 20 will be moved in a reverse direction to unclamp the tools 40, facilitating taking out the tools 40.

2. After the base 10 and the movable member 20 hold the tools 40, the hanger 14 on the bottom of the base 10 can be used to hang the tool box up to display the tools 40.

While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

1. A tool box with a tool locking function, comprising: a base and a movable member, plural tools being inserted in the tool box; wherein: the base is provided with plural engaging portions; the movable member is defined with plural holding holes for cooperating with the engaging portions of the base, the movable member is engaged with the base and moves relative to the base; and an end of the respective tools is inserted through the holding holes of the movable member and cooperates with the respective engaging portions of the base, the movable member and the base move relative to each other to make the engaging portions and the holding holes clamp and unclamp the tools.
 2. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base is groove-shaped.
 3. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable member is disc-shaped.
 4. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base is defined in a periphery thereof with at least one engaging groove, the movable member is provided on a bottom thereof with at least one engaging leg to be engaged into the engaging groove of the base, a width of the engaging groove of the base is greater than a width of the engaging leg of the movable member, the movable member is engaged to the engaging groove of the base by the engaging leg.
 5. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base and the movable member are covered by an outer cover.
 6. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base and the movable member are engaged to an outer cover, the base is provided on an outer periphery thereof with at least one positioning flange, the outer cover is defined with at least one positioning groove to be engaged with the positioning flange of the base, the outer cover is covered on the base in such a manner that the positioning groove is engaged with the positioning flange.
 7. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable member is provided with on a periphery thereof with plural tooth-shaped anti-slip portions.
 8. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base and the movable member are engaged to an outer cover, the movable member is provided on a periphery thereof with plural tooth-shaped anti-slip portions, the outer cover is provided on an inner surface thereof with plural tooth-shaped positioning portions having a predetermined height, the tooth-shaped anti-slip portions are mated with the tooth-shaped positioning portions.
 9. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable member is provided on a lower edge of the respective holding holes thereof with at least one reinforcing rib.
 10. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base is further provided with plural limiting portions opposite the respective engaging portions thereof.
 11. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the respective engaging portions of the base are an arc-shaped surface.
 12. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the respective engaging portions of the base are an inclined surface.
 13. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base is provided with a hanger on a bottom thereof.
 14. The tool box with a tool locking function as claimed in claim 13, wherein the hanger is pivotally arranged. 